With the growing reliance on networks, and accordingly network stability, network administrators need to be able to monitor and troubleshoot networks, which can be accomplished through use of monitoring devices on the networks. Examples of devices from which measurements may need to be taken include, for example, routers) switches, servers, clients, PCs, telecommunications equipment, voice gateways, etc. An example of a monitoring and/or troubleshooting of a network may include a network administrator viewing usage of a network on a display or having the capability to access additional measurement data of that network usage by drilling down to more detailed measurement data. Typically, the displaying of measurement data will include displaying graphs or plots illustrating graphically the measurement data versus a predetermined unit, e.g., an average usage of a network per hour. Drilling down to more detailed measurement data may include the capability to access measurement data used in formulating such graphically illustrated measurement data, i.e., the ability to view or print out the raw data used in generating the graphic or reformulating the graphic based on more fine criteria.
Typically, the monitoring of such network devices is accomplished seamlessly since all the network devices may be controlled by one protocol, for example, SNMP. However, multiple other protocols exist, such as XML and CMIP, which are also used by the network devices when transferring measurement data or by a control unit collecting measurement data from multiple network devices. Similarly, measurement data, which is collected by a network device, transferred from the network device, and collected by a control unit, will have a particular format, e.g., floating point, integer, negative value capability, positive value capability, binary, hexadecimal, logarithmic, etc.
Scalar measurement data from a plurality of network devices that are not all monitored using the same protocol is typically defined as being heterogeneous as to its source. In contrast, scalar measurement data from a plurality of network device that are monitored using the same protocol is typically defined as homogeneous as to its source. In networks containing network devices that are controlled by heterogeneous protocols, network administrators are required to individually monitor or display the network devices controlled by that protocol, separate from other network devices controlled by another protocol, or to monitor or display in a single graphic illustration measurement data from multiple network devices when all the network devices are not controlled by the same protocol. In some instances, network administrators create individualized simplified homogeneous solutions. For example, in a network containing CMIP and SNMP protocols, a CMIP management system can be set up with a gateway to receive SNMP data. The gateway then emulates the SNMP data to correspond to CMIP data based on a simplification of the differences between SNMP and CMIP data, so the measurement data can all be collected and displayed based on the CMIP protocol. However, such solutions must be individually designed, tested, and implemented. Further, individual design, testing, and implementation occupies valuable time and resources. A need exists for a universal data model that is able to commonly display the heterogeneous scalar measurement data.